Adjustable boom for material handling apparatus



p 1965 R. w. LARSON ETAL 3,204,792

ADJUSTABLE BOOM FOR MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed 001'.- 8, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS PoberT N. Larson By John E Lu/zdherg ATTORNEY Sept. 7, 1965 R. w. LARSON ETAL 3,204,792

ADJUSTABLE BOOM FOR MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 8, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS' Eoberv M Larson, BY John P Zundberg.

AT TO/Z/Vf Y Sept. 7, 1965 R. w. LARSON ETAL 3,204,792

ADJUSTABLE BOOM FOR MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 8. 1963 INVENTORS Poberf- M Larson, BY Jb/mr P Luna be g A TTO/P/VE Y United States Patent 3,204,792 ADIUSTABLE BOOM FOR MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Robert W. Larson, Sanborn, and John P. Lundberg, Washburn, Wis., assignors to Beloit Corporation, Beloit,

Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 314,758 7 Claims. (Cl. 214138) This invention relates to material handling machines, and more particularly to material handling equipment having mounted thereon an adjustable boom provided at the distal end thereof with a material handling device, as for example units for handling logs, for excavating and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved and novel material handling machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a material handling unit having a novel boom structure of increased maneuverability.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel boom support on a material handling machine which increases the reach of the boom and facilitates the distribution of the booms load relative to the machine.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective detailed view of the novel support means of this invention shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view illustrating the operation of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view illustrating a further application of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates, generally, a mobile vehicle, such as a crawler tractor, having endless tracks 2 and carrying a swinghouse assembly 3 which is rotatably movable by mounting on a turntable 4 which, in turn, is mounted in any conventional manner to the vehicle chassis 5. The swinghouse assembly 3 includes a platform 6, which carries thereon, together with a conventional cab 7 and engine 8, a movable boom assembly 9 which is mounted to the platform by means of the novel support assembly of this invention generally indicated by the numeral 10.

The boom support assembly 10 comprises a slide bed or block 11 fixedly secured to the platform 6. In the form shown the slide bed is channel or U-shaped configuration with horizontally elongated guide ways or slots 12 provided in its side walls 13. Slidably mounted in slide block 12 for relative horizontal movement therewith is a slide frame 15 which is restricted to the desired movement by means of slide blocks 16 or other tracking devices such as tracking wheels, which are secured to suitable mountings 17 carried on the slide frame, with the slide blocks cooperatively engaged within slot 12 for tracking therewith. If desired, and as shown, the mounting 17 of sliding frame 15 may comprise a cross shaft extending across the slide frame 15, which may be pivotally mounted to a swing bracket or standard 18. In this manner the cross shaft also serves a secondary function of cross-bracing the slide frame 15. Actuation of the slide frame 15 in horizontal movement is accomplished by means of double acting hydraulic cylinderpiston unit 19 connected to a suitable pivot on slide frame 15, such as a cross shaft 20' and to a bracket 21 provided on the rear part of the platform 6. As will be appreciated, actuation of the hydraulic cylinder unit 19' will force the slide frame 15 to any position desired relative to the slide block 11, with the limits of travel of the slide frame 15 being controlled by the length of the 3,294,792 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 guide slot 12 provided in the side walls 13 of slide block 11.

Pivotal movement of the swingable standard or bracket 18 is accomplished by means of double acting hydraulic cylinder-piston units 19 and 20 disposed respectively, at the front and rear sides of the swinging bracket 18- between suitable pivots on the bracket and on the sliding frame 15. As can be seen in FIGURE 1, the hydraulic cylinder units 19 and 20 are provided so that when the cylinder unit 19 is in its retracted position it pivots the swinging bracket 18 to its most forward position with the rear cylinder unit 20 being in its fully extended position. As will be appreciated, retraction of the rear cylinder unit 20 and extension of the front cylinder unit 19 will force the swinging bracket 18' to swing to its rear most position as shown in FIGURE 3.

In the form illustrated, the boom assembly 9 comprises a rear section 29' which is pivotally supported at one end to the swinging bracket 18 with the distal end' of the rear boom section having pivotally mounted thereon, about pin 30, a frontboom section 31. A hydraulic cylinder 33 is pivotally connected between the rear boom section 29 and any convenient pivot support on the swinghouse assembly, as for example a pivot pin 32- provided in the front portion of the slide block 13. As will be appreciated, actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 33 will move" the rear boom section 29' in a vertical plane about the pivot pin 34 which mounts this rear boom section tothe swinging bracket 18; In similar manner, a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 35 is pivotally mounted on pivot pins 36 and 37 provided, respectively, on the front boom section 31 and the rear boom section 29. In like manner, actuation of the hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 35 will move the front boom section 31 in a vertical plane relative to rear boom section 29 about the pivot pin 30. Carried at the distal end of the front boom section 31, may be any material handling device which in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, comprises a log handling unit 40. This unit, as shown in the drawings, has a supporting frame unit 41 which is mounted intermediate its end of the support frame 41' having pivotally mounted thereon a grapple 42 which includes a supporting bracket 43 pivotally connected to the supporting frame 41, with the bracket having pivotally mounted thereon a pair of co-acting jaws 44 actuated by hydraulic cylinder-piston units 45 pivotally connected between jaws and the bracket 43. The rear portion of supporting frame 41 is provided with abutment members in the form of arcuate cradle elements 46 for abutment with the heel of a log to support the log during its handling by the boom assembly 9.

In operation, the operator will reach out the boom assembly 9 for a log to be handled by full extension of the boom assembly 9 and its supporting structure. In this manner the operator will extend the hydraulic cylinder unit 19 to position the slide frame 15 at its most forward position relative to slide block 13, pivot the swinging bracket 18 to its most forward position by retraction of cylinder unit 19 and extension of cylinder unit 20, and fully extend the front and rear boom sections 31 and 29 of boom assembly 9 by appropriate actuation of hydraulic cylinder units 33 and 35 so as to position the grapple 42 about the log to be loaded. The grapple 42 is clamped around a log by actuation of hydraulic cylinder units 45 followed by retraction on the cylinder unit 19 to move the sliding frame 15 to its rear most position relative to slide block 13. This movement of the slide frame 15 will drag the log and at the same time cause the grapple 42 to pivot so as to at least partially position the heel of the log below the log supports 46. Completion of the alignment (if not fully elfected as described immediately above) of the log with the log heel supports 46 may be accomplished by retraction of the swinghouse assembly whereupon the logs heel supports 46 may be positioned against the log by pivoting at the support frame 41 by means of a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 50 which is pivotally connected to the support frame 41 at a suitable bracket 51 provided on the front boom section 31. With the log suitably supported by the grapple 42 and the log support elements 46, the log may be lifted and piled on a suitable transport vehicle 52 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. It is to be understood that although a specific log handling assembly has been shown in this embodiment, the grapple 42 may be directly connected in suspension from the distal end of the front boom section 31.

FIGURE 4 illustrates another application of this invention in which the log handling unit 40 of FIGURES 1 and 2 is replaced by dipper bucket 60 which is pivotally mounted to the distal end of the front boom section 31of the boom assembly 9 to adapt the unit for excavating operations. Included also in this embodiment are means for providing pivotal movement to the dipper bucket 60 which comprises a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit 61 pivotally mounted between the dipper bucket 60 and a bucket 51 provided on the front boom section 31.

Although the invention has been described with specific application with log handling units and dipper buckets, it is to be understood that various material handling devices may be used including modification of the units specifically described and other related devices. For example, additional control devices may be employed for imparting rotational movement to the grapple 42, in FIGURES 1 through 3, about a vertical axis with the control mechanism interposed between the pivotal connection at the distal end of the support frame 41 and the bracket 43 which mount the jaws 44.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and details, various modifications and changes, within the scope of this invention, will be apparent to one skilled in the art and are contemplated to be embraced within the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A work handling apparatus comprising, a mobile carriage; boom support means mounted on said carriage comprising a guide frame secured to said carriage; a slide frame slidably mounted on said guide frame and adapted for recriprocating horizontal movement forwardly and rearwardly relative to said carriage; power means for controllably actuating said slide frame in the said movement relative to said guide frame; an elongated bracket pivotally mounted at one end to said slide frame and adapted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis normal to the direction of said horizontal movement; a second power means for controllably pivot ing said bracket in said plane; an adjustable boom means pivotally mounted at one end to the distal end of said bracket for movement in a vertical plane; and a material handling means mounted to the distal end of said boom means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said material handling means comprises a grapple for gripping and handling logs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including an elongated support frame; a mounting means pivotally mounting said support frame at a point intermediate its ends to the said distal end of said boom means for movement about a horizontal axis; and said material handling means comprising a grapple means; pivot means pivotally mounting said grapple about a horizontal axis to one of said ends of said support frame; log support means mounted at the other of the said ends of said support frame and adapted to engage the heel of said log when gripped by said grapple; and controllable power means for angularly moving said support frame about its said mounting means to effect engagement of said log support means with the heel of a log gripped by said grapple.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said boom means comprises rear and forward sections operatively connected to each other and for angular movement relative to each other in a common vertical plane; and power means for controllably moving said rear and forward sections in the said angular movement relative to each other.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 including an elongated support frame; a mounting means pivotally mounting said support frame at a point intermediate its ends to the said distal end of said boom means for movement about a horizontal axis; and said material handling means comprising a grapple means; pivot means pivotally mounting said grapple about a horizontal axis to one of said ends of said support frame; log support means mounted at the other of the said ends of said support frame; and adapted to engage the heel of a log when gripped by said grapple; and controllable power means for angularly moving said support frame about its said mounting means to effect engagement of said log support means with the heel of the log gripped by said grapple.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said material means comprises a dipper bucket pivotally mounted to the said distal end of said boom means for angular movement about a horizontal axis; and power means for controllably moving said bucket in its said angular movement.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said material handling means comprises a dipper bucket pivotally mounted to the said distal end of said boom means for angular movement about a horizontal axis; and power means for controllably moving said bucket in its said angular movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,568,699 1/26 Von Mehren 214-138 X 1,623,194 4/27 Marshall 214-138 X 3,155,251 11/64 Williamson 214-140 3,165,215 l/ Larson.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WORK HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING, A MOBILE CARRIAGE; BOOM SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE COMPRISING A GUIDE FRAME SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE; A SLIDE FRAME SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID GUIDE FRAME AND ADAPTED FOR RECRIPROCATING HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIAGE; POWER MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY ACTUATING SAID SLIDE FRAME IN THE SAID MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID GUIDE FRAME; AN ELONGATED BRACKET PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END TO SAID SLIDE FRAME AND ADAPTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS NORMAL TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT; A SECOND POWER MEANS FOR CONTROLLABLY PIVOTING SAID BRACKET IN SAID PLANE; AN ADJUSTABLE BOOM MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END TO THE DISTAL END OF SAID BRACKET FOR MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE; AND A MATERIAL HANDLING MEANS MOUNTED TO THE DISTAL END OF SAID BOOM MEANS. 